Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-11-03
CHAPTER w

CHAPTER TX.
After the scenes related in the preceding
chapter Suzanne was taken i'll Of brain fever,
and for long time they despaired of her life,
but at last she regained consciousness and
little by little her strength. As soon as It
was possible she was removed to her great
uncle's home in the Val Dieu near the Arden
mes mountains. Here the old man had q
foundry and large, roomy house surrounded
by trees and a garden, while not far away
flowed the river Meuse. The sweet, quiet and
pure air soon restored the child to health,
but size seemed to have forgotten all about
the tragic scenes through which she had
passed. The old couple told her that her
parents had gone away on a voyage, and she
looked at them quietly without speaking as
they told her, so that when they were alone
they said thankfully:
"She has forgotten all that went before this
sickness. Let us thank God that 1t is So"
Winter, always severe in the Ardennes,
came, and ice and snow took the place of the
grass and fruits Of autumn, and winter and
summer went, and winter and summer came
again. Roger had been one year and half
in the galleys
The snow had fallen several days and the
frost had made it hard and brittle, and travel
was almost suspended in the Val Dieu, and the
foundries seemed silent as the heavy snow
deadened the noises, and the wooden sabots of
the workmen were as silent as if made of
wadded wool as they walked over the thick
snow
Night came, calm, cold and still, and the
moonlight gave an unearthly brilliance to the
scene. As the cold was intense oil the houses
along the street of Val Deu were closed, and
u. sz-I.A
dows. The rigorous cold seemed to throw the
whole village into n state of torpor. The
street was deserted, though it was but 10
o'clock. except at the great foundry, where
they worked night and day.
At 1880 man appeared near the tunnel of
the railroad, ON the jetty by the river side.
He had come in on the late train He was
tall, though he walked bent as If he bore
heavy weight on his shoulders, and he walked
direct toward the foundry belonging to NJ.
Bernardo, and when there his feet refused
to carry him and he leaned against an up
turned cart, as If not knowing what else
TO do.
A few moments he stood thus and then felt
heavy hand clasp his shoulder and voice
say somewhat rudely:
Who are you and what are you doing
here?'
"You are NJ. Adrien Bernardo, are you
notg'
81 am, and who are your
The unknown looked about him timidly.
and then said in low voice that seemed
broken by emotion:
"Alas, am Roger Laroqueln
"You, in France and freei"
"Yes, am here" said Roger, lifting his
hat so that NJ Bernardo could see him
clearer, and then he continued: Sand
Suzanne, my childa You do not tell me il
she lives.n
''She lives and Is well, and is with u.s."
Roger sighed as il great weight was
lifted from his heart. There was short ST.
lence between them, then Bernardo said:
'Come, come home with me. We can talk
there at our ease, for you want no one to ste
you, supposeFn
They walked in silence to the house, where
the old lady was still sitting before the fire.
When she saw her husband come in with that
pale. ragged man, with his long hair and
beard in disorder, she rose with look OF
fright. Bernardo closed and locked the door
and then coming close to his wife said:
at is Laroque, the childs father
"You hero and freei" said the old lady,
trembling, and using almost the Same words
es her husband had.
Roger bowed without speaking, and sank
into chair. Finally he mastered his emo
ton enough to ask to see Suzanne. The old
couple looked pitifully at each other. Had
he come to take their childl
"She is asleep" said the old lady.
II will not disturb her. Only let me look
at her. never hoped to see her again. Oh,
let me see her now!"
They opened door and signed him to fol
low. There was dainty little room, a little
bed with snowy curtains, and on the white
bed slept Suzanne, the light falling softly
upon her rosy face and her shining hair. He
knelt beside the bed and kissed the dimpled
hand that lay outside the cover, but 80 softly
that the sleeper knew nothing.
With his heart relieved Roger retired from
the room and returned with the old couple to
the fireside, and then he wept in silence for
few moments. His heart was rent with sor-
row, and by the sight of that little form he
loved so well and from whom he had been
so cruelty separated q year and half ago.
Suddenly he gasped for breath and seemed
attacked by vertigo, and was falling from his
chair when Bernardo caught him, and Roger
murmured ms if ashamed: "Give me little
bread, for PHYS sake; I have not eaten for
three days.
After having eaten, Roger told his story Of
how he had escaped with three political pris-
oners, and they had made their way, step by
step, from one place to another, working
their passage as sailors until they reached
America. at New York Roger had found
position in machine shop, and as soon as
he had earned enough money he had returned
to Europe, but he had not enough, and at
Antwerp he found himself without money to
buy food, and he dared not attempt to make
the voyage in France on foot for fear of being
recognized. So he paid railroad fare and had
reached here almost starved. He knew from
Lucien that the Bernardits would take Su-
zanne, and here he came, scarce daring to
hope she was alive.